CorvairJim

M–55
Norristown, PennsylvaniaUnited States

1990 Mazda Miata model

“LadyBug”

1966 Chevrolet Corvair Sports Prototype Racer

“Super Stinger”

Head to Head

About “LadyBug”

Back in the early 1990's, I really liked Miatas. I've never driven one, but I wanted one (Still do!). Anyhow, I was dating this guy (Now my husband, Corvair Jim) who built model cars as a hobby and he decided to surprise me with a model of a Miata just the way I wanted it, with all the optional I wanted and of course in the right colors. You see a lot of red ones, but not too many with a tan interior. At first I wanted it to have a tan top to match the interior, but one day I saw a car with a filthy tan convertible top and that ended the tn top idea. Jim had already painted the top tan, but he repainted it black for me!

(The license plate in the picture of the model is from Jim's collection of license plates. Our last initial is an "E", so that's me: "MRS JE"!

About “Super Stinger”

THIS IS A 1:25 SCALE MODEL CAR. I WILL ONLY ACCEPT CHALLENGES FROM OTHER MODELS, NOT 1:1 "REAL" CARS!

I am a big fan of Don Yenko's Corvair Stingers. The Stinger was his first foray into C.O.P.O. cars, establishing himself and his dealership as a legitimate manufacturer of limited-production performance cars. The Stinger was his only trus Sports Car, with all subsequent cars being straight-line oriented. My "Super Stinger" phantom takes the concept one logical step further: What would have happened if Don Yenko had wanted to compete in the highest levels of Sports Car racing, endurance races like LeMans, the 24 Hours of Daytona, and the Sebring 12-Hour? He would need something much more formidable than a production-based Stinger to have any chance at that level of competition, against such cars as Porsche 904's, Ferrari LM's, and Matras. My model is a full tube-frame chassis with a midships-mounted Corvair-based 12-cylinder driving through a modified Borg-Warner T-10 based Corvair 4-speed transaxle. It's wheelbase is extended well beyond the length of the standard Corvair, both for improved handling and to create room for the long engine to fit in the car while allowing enough room for the driver!

Factory Options for “LadyBug”

Factory Options for “Super Stinger”

None. This is a purpose-built race car.

Mods for “LadyBug”

Jim added all sorts of little details here and there, mostly in the interior and under the hood.

Mods for “Super Stinger”

The entire model is modified in one way or another. I used the engines from two Corvair models and "Siamesed" them into a single powerplant. The chassis is constructed from polystyrene tubing "Birdcage" space-frame style. All body mods are homemade - no parts from other kits were used with the exception of the wheels and tires from a Monogram Trans Am GTA kit and Talbot racing mirrirs from my parts box. The paint job in the official American racing (and Yenko Stinger) colors of white with blue stripes is all paint - no deacls were used.